Top Right: Ozzie Smith and Ali Wells from the Gateway PGA Reach Foundation; Bottom Right: Alderman Brandon Bosley reflects on his time as a 'club kid' with his young son in tow; Top Left: ARCHS' CEO Wendell Kimbrough congratulates Boys & Girls Club CEO Dr. Flint Fowler on the acquisition of the old Carter Carburetor site; Bottom Left: Mayor Lyda Krewson speaks in a socially distanced press conference with EPA officials and Congressmen William Lacy Clay by her side.ARCHS' School Age Initiatives partner, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, celebrated an accomplishment years in the making this week. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the completion of the site cleanup at the Carter Carburetor Superfund Site in North St. Louis. The property was then turned over to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis on September 16, 2020 in a ceremony featuring Boys & Girls Club CEO Dr. Flint Fowler, St. Louis City Mayor Lyda Krewson, U.S. Congressman William Lacy Clay, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, St. Louis Ward 3 Alderman Brandon Bosley, Gateway PGA Reach, and Cardinals Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith.
"The Carter Carburetor cleanup completion announcement today is more exciting than any announcement coming out of Washington, D.C. this week," expressed EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. The former eye sore will now be transformed into a youth golf training and sports facility to bring a new hobby to North St. Louis families. Children will gain access to miniature golf, disc golf, walking courses, and golf internships.
St. Louis Ward 3 Alderman Brandon Bosley was a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis as a child, and had a full circle moment as he spoke at the Carter Carburetor Cleanup Ceremony. "I'm excited for my son to be a club kid and open his eyes to even more opportunity than I had," he beamed with his toddler beside the podium.
After the ceremony, members of the EPA came to the ARCHS office in Midtown to talk to ARCHS' CEO Wendell Kimbrough about how important the Carter Carburetor Cleanup Project is and how ARCHS has contributed to environmental efforts in St. Louis. Click HERE to watch that interview.
ARCHS has played a significant role in communicating with the EPA since the early 2000's. Back in 2007, the EPA granted ARCHS $100,000 to help area residents and businesses learn how to safely dispose hazardous waste. The conversation quickly led to how important the Carter Carburetor Cleanup Project is to create a healthier life for families living in the area. In 2010, ARCHS CEO Wendell Kimbrough met with EPA staff multiple times to discuss the need for environmental attention in St. Louis.
Left: ARCHS' CEO Wendell Kimbrough speaks with EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks in 2010. Right: Kimbrough speaks with EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Gulliford at 2020 Carter Carburetor Cleanup Ceremony.Mr. Kimbrough's voice, along with many others, finally turned to action as the EPA began the $35 million site cleanup in 2013. The project was deemed critical for completion in 2017, and finally completed in 2020. The timeline below shows what led to Carter Carburetor becoming a priority for major stakeholders and how long an effort to clean an EPA Superfund Site takes.
